Charming Pharaoh
by Skyla Doragono
Summary: Shonenai rated just to be safe. Five thousand years ago, Panseru and Seto were cursed to live as frogs, until true love's kiss broke the spell. How are they going to do THAT in modern times!
1. Prologue: The High Priest Speaks

Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Charming Pharaoh  
  
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PROLOUGE - THE HIGH PRIEST SPEAKS  
  
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away and all that nonsense, there lived a handsome young prince that was charming... to some. Personally, I always found him a little too overeager, especially when it came to women in trouble or beautiful young men. Oft times, it was the latter that annoyed me the most, as it was unbecoming of a person at that day and age to be attracted to the same gender, not to mention a prince of such high stature. Not that I myself have much room to talk, but still...  
  
Oh, forgive me; I'm being rude, aren't I? My name is Seto, son of the High Priest Akunadin, first cousin to his estranged highness, and high-priest-in-training. Or... at least I WAS training to replace my father as high priest, but as I mentioned before, his highness can't keep it in his pants. This young gentleman I have spoken so "kindly" of is Panseru, former prince of Upper Egypt and the man who was SUPPOSED to unite both Upper and Lower Egypt under one crown.  
  
But he cannot keep it in his pants. I cannot stress this enough.  
  
It all started on the day Panseru was to be wed. That's right, as in married; wars had raged for centuries between the Upper and Lower kingdoms, and it was felt that his highness' marriage to the Princess Nehiri of Lower Egypt would bring a lasting peace. Led by Pharaoh Akunamukanon and an entourage of guards and servants, we traveled south to the capital city of the Lower kingdom. I was in the company of the prince of course; though he got on my nerves more often than not, and was oft stubborn and spoiled to the point of being intolerable, I was still loyal to him. Don't tell him that, though.  
  
Everything had been going so well. The people of Lower Egypt had welcomed us with open arms; even they were elated by the thought of peace finally coming to the kingdom. I kept a watchful eye on Panseru throughout it all, making sure he did not stare overly long at a pretty face. So far, none had captured his attention, but the scream did, and it sent him off like a rocket, right for the city's bell tower before I could blink.  
  
I followed him as fast as I could; you try running through a crowded street in priest's robes as see how fast YOU can run. I just reached the tower when the bell started to ring. Yes, Panseru's taste IS in men, but he also takes it where he gets it.  
  
The man cannot keep it in his pants.  
  
I raced up the tower steps and banged on the door to the bell itself. I begged, pleaded, groveled, and IMPLORED with his highness to stop with his frolicking, but he couldn't hear me. And then the guards came and broke down the door, and my oh my did he stop REALLY quick; but the damage had already been done. We were arrested - yes, we; as in me, the prince, and the woman - and were dragged to the palace to be sentenced.  
  
I never did find out what became of that woman; I imagine she was beheaded or tortured or something of the like. For us, well, we wouldn't be getting off so easily. The judges went through several options - castration, buried alive, and other such vile forms of torture - but it turned out to be the queen of the kingdom that decided our fate. She wasn't a native of Egypt, but from one of the southern countries - I believe you call it "England" now. It was she that decided a Frogging would be the best punishment for us.  
  
Well, of course I had heard of a Frogging before. As a priest in training, I was expected to perform or at least be familiar with all sorts of spells and incantations. A Frogging was an exceptionally dodgy spell, and none of the Egyptian sorcerers I had read of or knew of had ever been able to perform it. I only knew of one successful casting, and it had been on some lowly tomb robber or something like that.  
  
I'll always remember what I said to Panseru: "A Frogging is an old wives tale at best, your majesty, hardly worth taking seriously."  
  
HA! What an idiot I was. Of course the sorcerer that would be performing the spell was not from Egypt, but from the queen's native country. Frogging spells were normally permanent, but the queen, blessed woman that she was, gave us a condition so that we would have a chance to escape eternity in such a lowly life form.  
  
"Your condition shall not be permanent, for the kiss of a young maiden to the prince will allow you back to your human form until the noon bells ring on the day of the new moon. In that time, the prince must court and marry the maiden, for true love's kiss will break the spell. If not, then frogs you both shall be for all eternity."  
  
And that was that; before I knew what was happening, everyone was suddenly ten times taller than I was. Do you have any idea how horrifying it is to look at your hands and see them webbed? Or better yet, croaking every time you talk!  
  
If only it had ended there. Oh, if ONLY it had ended there! Frogs do not take kindly to the desert heat, not in the least. So, the sorcerer took us to his native England, and dropped us off in some pond or other. Now, not only did his royal highness-ness need to court a maiden, but also he had to learn how to speak the LANGUAGE. Thankfully, Panseru had always been a quick study, and it only took him a few years of watching peoples' mouths and reading discarded newspapers for him to learn his English. I only wish it hadn't taken me as long, but alas...  
  
The years wore on, with Panseru working so hard trying to get a maiden to kiss him. Though, there was an occasion were he would go after a handsome gentlemen instead of a lady, after which I would have to thoroughly chew his ear out. It didn't seem to matter, though; it was looking like no one would help us in breaking the spell. 


	2. Coming to America

Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Charming Pharaoh  
  
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CHAPTER ONE - COMING TO AMERICA  
  
People milled about the courtyard of Lothian castle in England, admiring the beauty of the stone structure. These people were common people, yes, but not dressed common; at least compared to the era from which the castle was known for. These people were dressed in shirts and slacks - all of them, even the women and young boys. One young boy in particular was wearing shorts and a sports cap with a shabby old book bag slung over his shoulder, and an exceedingly bored look on his face. He wanted to go home, and not to the fancy hotel his mom had booked but the apartment he lived in on the Upper East Side.  
  
Stopping a moment, the boy looked about, trying to find some havoc he could cause. He spotted it in the form of two frogs lying fast asleep on a fountain nearby. One of them stirred as he approached, waking up slowly. The frog turned to him and gave a small hop of surprise; the other one was still snoring away. The frog that was awake opened its mouth as if it was going to say something, but the boy did not give it the chance. He grabbed the frog and stuffed it in his book bag, before grabbing the other one and doing the same.  
  
"Eric!" the boy's mother called. "Eric, what are you doing?"  
  
"Nothing, mom," Eric replied, hastily re-tying the strap on his bag and snapping the flap closed. He swung the bag over his shoulder before rejoining his mother, who was about to enter the castle along with the rest of the tour group.  
  
With that, events at the tourist trap that Lothian castle had become returned to normal. Well, at least as normal as things were in the year 2014.  
  
~.oOOo.~  
  
Days passed like hours in that book bag, and soon it was in a New York taxicab along with its owner and his mother. Eric was poking at the bag lazily with the fake sword souvenir he had gotten from that dumb old castle, when the strap accidentally came undone. Before he knew what was happening, the two frogs he had captured were hopping about the cab like mad. His mother screamed, and the cab came to a screeching halt long enough for her to throw the two disgusting creatures out.  
  
The frogs looked about in shock at their new surroundings... that was until another taxicab passed by overhead and gave them the idea that they should get off of the street. The larger, brownish frog managed to make it to the safety of the sidewalk easily enough, but the smaller tri-colored one was not so lucky. Something pink and sticky had gotten stuck on its foot, and no matter how hard it tried, he could not break the hold the substance had on him.  
  
Suddenly, a clopping of horse hooves distracted the frog, and it looked up to see a horse heading straight for it. It held up its arms, as if pleading with the horse to stop. Spooked, the horse reared up, surprising the person that had been at the reigns in the carriage behind it.  
  
"Whoa, Terrance, whoa!"  
  
The frog tried to look up and see who was trying to steady the horse. The voice sounded slightly masculine, with a bit of femininity and child-like innocence mixed in. From the position it was at, however, it just could not see past the horse, which was slowly calming down. The person swung down from the carriage once the horse was calm enough, and the frog just stared.  
  
The boy - for he did not seem to be older than a teenager - was lithe of build, a bit on the short side, and angelic in appearance. Large amethyst eyes looked down at the frog in surprise, before the boy knelt down and picked it up. He smiled gently, giving the frog a little tap on the nose.  
  
"You're a cute little thing, aren't you?" he asked.  
  
The frog croaked. The boy giggled, before bringing the frog up as if he were going to kiss it...  
  
A horrendous noise suddenly pierced the air. "Hey, princess, move it!"  
  
The boy pulled away, his expression suddenly turning sour. "I may be gay, but these jokes are getting old," he muttered under his breath, before bending around slightly to see a man behind him leaning outside of his car window. "That's YUGI to you! Now go around like a normal human being!"  
  
The man let out a curse before going back into his car and maneuvering it around the carriage. The boy, Yugi, walked over to a grassy area and set the frog down, much to its frustration. Before he went back to his carriage, he took out a strange black box from his jacket and pointed it at the frog. There was a click, and Yugi smiled at the frog again before leaving.  
  
The frog stared after the boy for a long moment, as its companion hopped over to him. The brown frog opened its mouth, and actually SPOKE.  
  
"Maiden's kiss, your highness!" the frog exclaimed in an English accent. "MAIDEN'S KISS!" it continued, pounding the other frog on the head with each syllable. "Men do not qualify as 'maidens'."  
  
The tri-colored frog stood up on its hind legs, trying to get his last look at Yugi before his carriage disappeared around the corner.  
  
"Are you listening to me?!" the other frog continued.  
  
"Yes, yes, Seto," the frog replied, crouching back on his legs. "I can't help it though. He was cute."  
  
"Bah!" Seto exclaimed, starting to hop toward a nearby lake. "He just had a pretty face, like everyone else you've been attracted to, Panseru."  
  
Panseru frowned, following his companion. "So I got a little out of control every now and then -"  
  
"Every now and then?" Seto replied, whirling on him. "This 'every now and then' thing has made me spend the past five thousand years trapped in the body of a FROG! And I didn't even DO anything!"  
  
The prince winced. "Well, it could be worse... we could be dogs?"  
  
Seto gave him a withering glance before continuing hopping away. Panseru followed him slowly, looking around as he made his way, following the crystal clear lake around. There were various people scattered about, dressed similarly to the ones he had become familiar with at the castle. Beyond the tall blades of grass were various trees, making him come to the conclusion they were in a forest of some sort. Some people meandered about, so it must have been a public place. One of those people walked over the two of them, knocking over a bottle of something almost right on top of Seto.  
  
"Seto, are you all right?" Panseru asked, hopping over to his companion. Seto rubbed the top of his head, relieved, as he watched a fine red substance glug out of the bottle.  
  
"That was close," he muttered. "What is this stuff anyway?"  
  
Panseru jumped up on top of the bottle to read the contents. "Wine!" he exclaimed. "This will cheer you right up, Seto!"  
  
"Are you sure it's safe?" the priest-in-training asked. "Ra knows how long it's been out here."  
  
A smile split Panseru's face. "Well, there's only one way to find out."  
  
~.oOOo.~  
  
Yugi Mutou, loaded down with the day's grocery shopping, arrived late that night at the New York City apartment he shared with his friends Ryou Bakura and Bakura. He managed to make his way blindly to the kitchen and set the various bags in his arms down before the one almost ripped. Then, he made his way back to the coat rack, taking of his jacket while shouting for his roommates. Something crunched under foot, and he looked down to see something silver.  
  
"Not again," he muttered, picking up the pair of handcuffs and stalking over to the living room. His two white-haired, almost identical roommates were sitting on the couch, arms around each other, watching television innocently.  
  
Ryou noticed him first. "Oh, hi, Yugi!" he exclaimed cheerily. "How was work?"  
  
"Just dandy," Yugi replied, before throwing the cuffs at the two of them. "Apparently you two had a nice day as well."  
  
"Ah, it was just the usual," Bakura replied flippantly, getting a sweatdrop out of Ryou. "You know, the usual whipping -"  
  
"I DON'T need details," Yugi interrupted, getting a snicker out of him. Bakura stood up and stretched then.  
  
"Ah, don't worry, Yugi. Maybe we'll have a threesome one day," he said, before giving Ryou a quick peck on the cheek. "Later, lover. I've gotta go to work."  
  
With that, Bakura grabbed his coat and went off to his job as the night guard of the local bank. Ryou watched as he left, a bit of a dreamy look on his face.  
  
"He's the best, isn't he?" he asked.  
  
Yugi rolled his eyes. "Sure... if you like having sex with yourself."  
  
Ryou frowned, then got up and followed him as he made his way back to the kitchen. Yugi started putting away the groceries with the white-haired man's help.  
  
"You're just jealous, Yugi," he said, storing the bread away.  
  
Yugi sighed. "Twenty-five years old and still no boyfriend? Damn right I'm jealous."  
  
"You're just still upset over Jonouchi," Ryou replied in a sort of patronizing voice. "I know the way you think. Honestly, I thought he was gay too. It looks like even the best of us can be fooled."  
  
Yugi raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Don't flatter yourself, Ryou."  
  
The other man laughed. "Don't let it get to you so much, Yugi. There's someone out there for everyone, even if they just happen to look alike."  
  
~.oOOo.~  
  
The breezes blew lazily in Central Park that night, but if one listened closely, they could make out the minute sound of drunken singing coming from the lake. Panseru and Seto had drunken their fill of the wine, which in their current state was not much, and were trying their very hardest to let the whole world know about it. They had found a discarded toy boat and were drifting along the shoreline at a snail's pace.  
  
"You know, Setooooo," Panseru drawled. "I do believe, that this... place, has had a good effect on us."  
  
"Are you sure that's not just the wine?" Seto asked. He had always been able to hold his alcohol better than the prince could, even as a frog.  
  
"Meh, the jury's still out on that one," he replied, before collapsing into a fit of giggles. "I feel it, Seto! Tonight is the night we become human again!"  
  
Seto groaned; not this AGAIN. "Your highness, need I remind you that you've been saying that for the past one million, eight hundred forty thousand nights? Give or take a few. In case you haven't noticed: we're still frogs."  
  
Before Panseru could retaliate, there came the sound of screeching wheels. The two of them looked up to see a long white car sitting on a dirt path in a cloud of fading dust. In the next instant, a woman with fair blonde hair that cascaded about her shoulders and dressed in a pink and gold trimmed gown that looked like something out of the Middle Ages emerged from the back of the vehicle. In the next instant, a gentleman with much wilder blonde hair and shabby clothes emerged and chased after her.  
  
"Mai!" the gentleman shouted. "Mai! Where are you going?"  
  
"Away from YOU, Katsuya Jonouchi," the woman replied rather indignantly. "I'm OBVIOUSLY not needed."  
  
Jonouchi sighed in frustration. "What are you talking about, Mai? Of course you're needed!"  
  
Mai whirled on him. "Oh really? Needed to play your darling Juliet?" she demanded. "Why don't you get that harlot, Anzu, to do the role!"  
  
The man rolled his eyes as she started to stalk off again. "Don't be such a prima-dona, Mai..." he muttered, before giving chase once more. "Look, I've known Anzu since before I can remember. We're just FRIENDS!"  
  
"Oh, sure," Mai replied dryly. "She's a much younger friend."  
  
Jonouchi grabbed her by the arm, spinning her about. "Is that what this is about?" he asked. "Is this because of that damned article?"  
  
"Well it must be right!" she exclaimed. "I must be nothing but an old, washed up has-been!"  
  
Jonouchi cupped her face in his hands. "Mai... Mai, sweet Mai... You are still as beautiful and as youthful as the first time we met back in Duelist Kingdom."  
  
At the pond, Seto nudged Panseru. "Kingdom! They must be royalty!"  
  
"If that's the case, then why wont you marry me?" she asked, oblivious to the other observers of the conversation.  
  
"Marriage is for the little people," Jonouchi replied casually. "At least this way I can still call you my queen."  
  
Seto was practically hopping in delight. "Queen!" he exclaimed. "That's it, your highness! She's royalty!"  
  
"So?" Panseru replied, the wine still settling in.  
  
The priest frowned at him, before pushing the prince overboard. He came back up sputtering; nothing like a dip in a cold lake to get you sobered up REALLY fast. Seto pointed to where the man and the woman were standing, now hand in hand.  
  
"Get over there and get yourself kissed!" he ordered. "NOW!!!"  
  
Not about to argue, Panseru managed to swim to shore, before hopping his way as fast as he could through the grass to get to Jonouchi and Mai. He stopped at their feet and croaked as loud as he could, hoping to get noticed. To his misfortune, however, it was Jonouchi that noticed him first. The man knelt down and picked the prince frog up, holding him up between himself and the lovely woman.  
  
"Mai, even if you looked as ugly as this frog, I'd still love you all the same," Jonouchi said, looking deep into the woman's eyes.  
  
"I beg your pardon!" Panseru exclaimed, but all the two humans could hear was a loud croak.  
  
"Would you kiss it?" Mai asked slyly.  
  
Jonouchi made a face, but brought the frog closer to kiss it anyway. Panseru scrambled about, trying desperately to get away from the man's lips.  
  
"No offense, but you're not my type!" he exclaimed. "I don't like blonde suck-ups!"  
  
After a moment, Jonouchi gave up, much to Mai's delight.  
  
"You can't do it, can you?" she asked, taking the frog in her hands. "Well, I can. Whether it be frog, or prince, or king; I will kiss it gladly."  
  
With that, she proved it, giving Panseru a quick peck on the head right in between his eyes. She then tossed him over her shoulder, hardly noticing the frog had started glowing, even when he landed in the water with quite a loud splash. Mai took Jonouchi's hands in hers, leading him back to the limo.  
  
~.oOOo.~  
  
The white limousine was long gone by the time the young man emerged from the water. His spiked, tri-colored hair was drooping slightly from being wet, and he was gulping in air desperately. A fairly large, upside down pyramidal talisman hung about his neck, glittering in the moonlight. He looked about, narrow amethyst eyes taking in the new view hungrily, while his tanned skin seemed to glow golden. His baggy white pants were stained slightly with sand and the mud from the lake, and his purple cloak hung listlessly about his shoulders, thoroughly soaked liked the rest of him.  
  
He looked about, suddenly realizing something. "Seto? Seto! Where are you?"  
  
As if on cue, a loud splash erupted behind him, and a slightly older young man dressed in priest's robes surfaced from the water. The priest's turban was all askew, revealing a mop of brown and black streaked hair underneath. He blinked up at the other young man, light blue eyes twinkling.  
  
"Well, I do believe you've finally done it, your highness," Seto said, standing up on his own two legs again with a little help. "There's only one problem: where's the Lady Mai?"  
  
Panseru looked about, trying to find the white limo or its two passengers. No one was there; the park was completely deserted.  
  
"Dammit all," he muttered. "I don't believe this..."  
  
"What are the chances we'll be able to find her again?" Seto asked.  
  
Panseru looked about. From his new vantage point, he was able to see various tall towers, so high that it seemed like they were reaching for the heavens themselves.  
  
The prince sighed. "I'm guessing zero to none?" 


	3. Controling Oneself

Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Charming Pharaoh  
  
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Please note: I've never been to Central Park, so I don't know where exactly Belvedere Castle is, and I was too lazy to look it up. ^_^  
  
Read, enjoy, and then review!  
  
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CHAPTER TWO - CONTROLING ONESELF  
  
Yugi yawned as he ran his hands along his coach horse, Terrance's, side. It had been another long and boring day with the usual turn out of elderly couples reminiscing about the old days and young men trying to show their sweethearts that they were sincere. If he himself had not been scorned by love more times than he could count, he would have found it all romantic, but he was just so tired of driving around people who had something he more than likely would never get the chance to have. Sometimes - just sometimes, though - he was sorely tempted to take Bakura up on his offer of a threesome, if only for one brief cheap thrill.  
  
Yugi took Terrance by the reigns, and was about to lead the horse back to the coach station, when someone called out, "Fair princess!" Frowning to himself, he turned around to see what had to be the strangest people in the world. The taller of the two was in what looked like a dress, with a weird turban decorated with a golden snake covering up most of his hair. However, the person running up along side him...  
  
~~"Don't let it get to you so much, Yugi. There's someone out there for everyone, even if they just happen to look alike."~~  
  
He gulped as he remembered Ryou's words from last night. It had to be a coincidence, though it was hard to write it off as such; how many other people had tri-colored hair, after all? Even in America, his spiky hairstyle was not exactly common. This other man was... handsome, though; what Yugi would picture himself as if he were taller and stronger... and not gay.  
  
Yugi frowned at the two of them as they stopped before him, out of breath. "Do I look like a princess to you?" he asked, a bit annoyed. Honestly, just because he wore leather like it was going out of fashion that was no reason for people to automatically assume he was gay; never mind that it was true.  
  
"Well, if you don't mind my saying so..." the taller one with the turban began. Yugi fixed him with a frustrated look. "I-I-I mean..." he continued, a bit intimidated.  
  
"Are you not Yugi?" the shorter one asked.  
  
Yugi gave a start. Not only did this guy look like him, but he knew his name too? "Have we met?"  
  
The look-a-like shrugged casually. "I just thought that I might have seen you before."  
  
~~Maybe in a mirror,~~ Yugi thought, but did not say aloud. "Well," he began instead. "What do you two want?"  
  
"We require your services to find a fair maiden that his highness so graciously lost," the taller one answered, glaring a bit at the smaller.  
  
"Seto...!" the other snarled, returning the glare. Yugi tried not to show his shock at the name. This person could not be the same Seto he knew; he would not be caught dead in a dress.  
  
"Look, guys," he said, before a fight could break out, "I can't help. I'm about to get off my shift -"  
  
"We'll certainly make it worth your while," Seto cut in before he could finish. "And it's not far. His highness lost her in the forest."  
  
He waved toward the park, and Yugi raised an eyebrow. "RIGHT..." he muttered. "Central Forest..."  
  
He sighed then; it was against his better judgment, but, hey, if he was going to get paid...  
  
"All right," he consented. "But it's fifty-seven bucks an hour."  
  
He climbed back in the driver's seat of the carriage, when the look-a-like asked his companion, "Bucks?"  
  
"Must be the name of the currency, your highness," Seto replied, before hauling himself up into the passenger seat. The shorter young man shrugged, before following him in.  
  
Yugi had to admit; those two were the strangest passengers he had ever had. They were wearing what he had been able to determine was Egyptian styled clothing, yet they spoke with English accents. Not only that, but they kept pointing out things that were so ridiculously common and exclaiming about them as if the two quacks had never heard of them before. He was sorely tempted to whip out his cell phone, call the local insanity ward, and ask them if any of their patients had run away recently.  
  
"So," he began, after the two of them pointed out a street lamp, "what's the deal with this 'fair maiden' you two are trying to find? Why are you looking for her?"  
  
"We're looking for her to marry," the shorter one replied, tearing his focus away from the lamp and looking at a group of women that passed on roller blades.  
  
Yugi smirked, amused. "One maiden for the both of you?"  
  
"Yes," they replied at the same time.  
  
Yugi frowned.  
  
"Well, in marrying me, she will save us both," the shorter one clarified.  
  
Yugi just shook his head, exasperated. "I think that's a little more information than I needed to know."  
  
"Is there a maiden in your life, good sir?" Seto asked.  
  
Yugi rolled his eyes. They called him "princess" and now they were asking him if there was a girl in his life? Oh BOY were these two screwed up.  
  
"My taste isn't in maidens," he replied. It was hard to miss the barely contained sound of surprise from the look-a-like, followed by a thud as Seto hit him over the head with something.  
  
"Stay focused, your highness," he half-snarled, returning the whatever-it-was - it looked almost like a staff or a rod or something - to a hiding spot behind his back.  
  
"So, does his highness have a name?" Yugi asked, turning around slightly so he could keep one eye on the path before him and another on his passengers. He may as well try to humor these two; they did not seem dangerous, but who knew now a days.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me," the shorter one said, before taking Yugi's hand and kissing it. "My name is Panseru, prince and heir to the throne of the Upper Kingdom of Egypt."  
  
Yugi tried not to roll his eyes. He was right in his first assessment: these two were quacks. At least Panseru was a polite quack, unlike Seto, who was glaring daggers at the "prince" behind his back.  
  
They continued their ride through central park in silence, passing several groups of women, but none of them caught the attention of either of Yugi's passengers. Hours passed, and it was not until the sun was starting to hang low over the horizon that he brought his carriage to a halt. He hung over the side of his seat, looking at the disappointed Panseru and Seto.  
  
"Hey, sorry we couldn't find your maiden," Yugi said, somewhat comfortingly. "Is there anywhere I can drop you two off?"  
  
"Perhaps the nearest palace or castle?" Panseru suggested.  
  
Yugi tried not to roll his eyes as he faced forward again. These two just did not know when to quit!  
  
"Nearest castle it is, then!" he exclaimed, spurring up a tired Terrance.  
  
He guided the horse through the park, past several of the places they had went by more times than he could count, and up to Belvedere Castle, deep in the heart of the park. His two passengers stared as they approached, awed by the fairly large structure. Yugi could sort of agree with their response; though the castle was still under restoration, it still was quite impressive. He brought the horse to a stop once again on the path that led up to the castle, before turning to his estranged passengers.  
  
"All right, guys, that'll be three hundred and forty-two bucks," he announced. Panseru nodded to Seto, who reached around to a pouch on his golden belt...  
  
"HELP!!! He's stealing my bike!"  
  
Yugi looked up just in time to see a woman in a red jacket pointing to a man riding away on a bicycle. Before he could even blink, Panseru grabbed the rod hidden behind Seto's back and leapt out of the carriage. Seto let out a strangled "Urk!" and tried to follow him, but only succeeded in tripping over his own robes and falling flat on his face out of the carriage. He looked up just in time to see Panseru pull the bottom half of the rod off, revealing a thin blade underneath, and tossing it away as he charged after the man who had made the woman shout.  
  
"Panseru!" he shouted, angrily. "How many times have I told you not to just discard the sheath!?"  
  
Yugi jumped off of the carriage, before going to help Seto get back to his feet. "Is that guy for real?" he asked.  
  
Seto let out a tragic sigh as he fixed his turban. "Very real... unfortunately."  
  
The tall man went over to collect the sheath that Panseru had discarded, while Yugi looked around. Spotting a portly looking police officer next to a hotdog stand, he raced over to the man as he picked up a hotdog from the vendor.  
  
"Excuse me, sir," he began, "but that man just made off with that woman's bike!"  
  
The police officer gave him a look that all but said he could not be any less interested, before touching a button on the radio at his shoulder and reporting the incident. The officer then turned his hungry focus onto his hotdog.  
  
"Aren't you going to do anything?!" Yugi demanded, frustrated, as Seto rejoined him. The officer pointed to the radio, as if to say he did do something, before stuffing the hotdog into his mouth. Grumbling under his breath, Yugi grabbed Seto by the wrist and pulled him along after where Panseru disappeared.  
  
~.oOOo.~  
  
Panseru raced along the path, keeping the culprit in sight as well as maintaining a tight grip on the Millennium Rod. The woman whose "bike"-thing had been stolen was following him close behind, but he took no notice. He was more focused on the trees the man kept weaving in and out of and the stairs the man plowed down on to pay her much attention.  
  
Just then, a white and black car with the word "Police" stamped on the side pulled up right in the man's path. He skidded to a halt barely in time to avoid colliding with the car, before reversing and speeding back the way he had come before the officers could get out of the car. Panseru was waiting for him, however; he reversed the grip he had on the Millennium Rod and hit the man in the head with the flat of the blade as he tried to pass by him. Caught off guard, the man easily toppled off of the bike, landing on the ground with a thud. Panseru put a foot on the man's chest before he could get back up, pointing the business end of the Rod at him as the officers ran up from the front, and Seto and Yugi ran up from behind.  
  
"We'll take it from here, buddy," one officer said. Panseru backed off and allowed the man to be cuffed by the two lawmen. The other officer stared at him strangely as his partner pulled the culprit up to his feet.  
  
"What do you think you are? Robin Hood?" he asked, frowning down at the Millennium Rod, more specifically the blade portion.  
  
"No, but charming fellow, from what I've heard," Panseru replied as Seto snatched back his Rod. "My name, sir, is Panseru."  
  
The woman in the red jacket, who had been inspecting her bike to make sure it was not damaged, went up to Panseru and gave him a hug, much to his surprise.  
  
"Thank you, Panseru!" she exclaimed, pulling away. "How can I ever repay you?"  
  
Panseru mentally smiled; oh there were many, many ways she could repay him... He stopped himself before he could finish that thought. It was that kind of thinking that had made him spend the past five thousand years as a frog. There was no way he was going to make the same mistake twice, and here was a good place to start.  
  
"Seeing the culprit brought to justice is payment enough," he replied simply, kissing the back of her hand. With that said, he turned his back on an opportunity for a good time, and walked up the path back toward the castle.  
  
Seto, in the meantime, just stared, numbly sheathing the Millennium Rod. Will wonders never cease! His majesty had shown restraint! Maybe there was hope for him yet. He tossed Yugi a brief smile, before following Panseru up the path.  
  
Yugi, for the most part, was totally confused. Most guys he knew of would ask for a date, or at the very least, a phone number. This guy, however, just accepted the fact that he helped someone and just walked away? He shook his head before following the two of them. Quacks they might be, but there was definitely something else that was special about these two.  
  
He followed the two of them as far as the courtyard of Belvedere Castle, before Panseru turned to him.  
  
"Thank you for escorting us about the forest, good sir," he said, taking Yugi's hand again and kissing the back of it. "Until we meet again."  
  
"You... want to do this again sometime?" Yugi asked, still trying to figure out what was up with this guy. Maybe he was gay too - it would explain why he was kissing his hand - but if that were the case, then why was he looking for a wife? He mentally shook his head; way to confusing for his brain to process!  
  
"Of course!" Panseru replied. "We still need to find our maiden after all."  
  
Yugi sighed; he was still a quack. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.  
  
"Well, anyway, you guys still owe me three hundred and forty-two bucks," he replied. "I wasn't joking about that."  
  
Panseru turned toward Seto and scoffed, "You didn't PAY him?!"  
  
Seto shot him a scathing look. "I didn't get the chance."  
  
He reached into the pouch at his side again and - much to Yugi's dismay - pulled out a fairly large gold coin and handed it to him. He held it up, looking it over, before glaring at the two of them.  
  
"What is this supposed to be?" he demanded, more than a little annoyed.  
  
Panseru and Seto exchanged confused looks. "Well, it's the royal coin of Egypt."  
  
"And this means what to me?" Yugi shot back, getting more and more frustrated by the minute. He had spent over six hours with these two idiots, and now they were handing him phony money as his payment!  
  
Panseru must have caught onto his thought, for he said, "I assure you, sir, it is very real."  
  
Yugi glared at the two of them, before coming to his conclusion, "Fine, then. I'm going to check this out. But if this is worth one penny less than what I'm owed, I'm coming back for my proper payment."  
  
"We shall be here," Panseru assured him. Yugi frowned again, before spinning around on his heal and stalking off toward his horse and carriage.  
  
~.oOOo.~  
  
Yugi tapped his foot impatiently as the woman behind the counter of the local Fleet Bank inspected the coin Panseru and Seto had given him. She frowned at the coin, turning it over in her hand several times, before handing it back to him.  
  
"Well, it's unlike any kind of currency I've ever seen," she admitted. That did nothing to help brighten Yugi's mood.  
  
"So, it's a fake?" he asked, trying not to let his frustration show.  
  
"Maybe, but you'd have to take it to a coin shop to be sure," the woman replied.  
  
Yugi did not want to have to hear that. Most of the coin shops were closed at this time of day.  
  
"What if it were actual gold?" he asked. "Then how much would it be worth?"  
  
The bank teller shrugged. "I dunno, maybe fifty, maybe a hundred."  
  
Yugi frowned deeply. He knew it; never trust a quack. He gave the woman his thanks before leaving the bank and walking home.  
  
It was late again by the time he made it back. Ryou was sprawled out on the couch, half asleep, watching some program on television. Bakura was in the kitchen, wearing a bright pink apron, flitting about as he tried to make supper. The latter looked up as Yugi entered the apartment, a slight frown on his face.  
  
"That's twice this week you've come home late, Yugi," he said, a bit concerned. "What's going on?"  
  
Yugi let out a groan. "You wouldn't believe the day I had!" he exclaimed, as Bakura reached for drinking glasses. "I was just about to get off my shift when these two nutcases had me drive them around the park for six hours, and then they hand me some kind of phony money as payment."  
  
Ryou stirred from the couch, leaning over the side a bit. "Why didn't you just say no?"  
  
Yugi turned to face him. "'Cause, I thought they were loaded," he answered honestly. "They were wearing a lot of gold: gold belts, gold earrings, gold bracelets." He paused a moment, before he sighed. "I wish I had told them to bug off. They were absolutely loony. Get this: the one insisted that he was the Prince of Upper Egypt."  
  
There came the tinkling of glass, and Yugi spun around in his seat to see that Bakura had dropped the drinking glass he had been holding. There was a flash of a shocked look on his face, but he quickly disguised it, bending down to start picking up the glass with a mumbled, "Sorry". Yugi turned back to Ryou, who had a bit of a concerned look on his face, getting a frown out of him.  
  
Was there something he was missing here...?  
  
~.oOOo.~  
  
Panseru waited impatiently in the main room of Belvedere Castle, drumming his fingers on his knee as he waited for Seto to come back from where ever it was he disappeared to. The former priest-in-training had insisted that he try to perform a spell that would help them in finding Lady Mai, but he sure was taking his sweet time in finding all the ingredients he needed!  
  
Instead of focusing on his frustration, he turned his thoughts inward, and found himself thinking about Yugi. So incredibly beautiful, that boy was. It was a shame he had to marry a maiden; he would have taken that boy over any woman in a heartbeat. Rules were rules however: a maiden had to kiss him, and then he had to marry that maiden before the noon bells on the day of the new moon, otherwise him and Seto would be frogs forever. After five thousand years of putting up with croaking and hopping around, he did not want to have to experience it again.  
  
Just then, Seto rushed back into the castle, carrying an armful of different things. He sat across from Panseru, with a small stone slab serving as a table separating them, a bit excited.  
  
"Luckily, I was able to find everything," he said, before holding up a twig. "Cherry wood branch." He set that down and held up a gnarled looking thing. "Oak root." He set that down and held up a banana peal. "Snake skin, and lastly..."  
  
He set the "snake skin" down and held up a small and red rectangular object with a strange switch at the top. Seto flicked the switch, and a slight burst of flame came out. Panseru blinked, impressed; amazing the kind of hand-held magic people had nowadays.  
  
Seto lit the ingredients he gathered on fire. The blue flames flared up between them, casting a strange glow on the priest's face as he tried to concentrate.  
  
"Well?" Panseru asked after a long moment. "What do you see?"  
  
Seto frowned slightly. "You will... be very lucky."  
  
Panseru raised an eyebrow; that was not the kind of response he had been hoping for. "And?"  
  
Seto squinted, as if he were peering through a fog. "You're lucky color is... green?"  
  
The prince gave him a dull look. "Seto, I think you're magic's a tad bit rusty."  
  
"Really?" Seto replied dryly, giving him a scathing look. "Well, there is one thing I can tell you, your highness."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
He focused a hard look on the prince. "That we have only four days till the noon bells ring on the day of the new moon."  
  
Panseru sighed. They had to find Lady Mai... and fast! 


End file.
